Medical briefs

PORTSMOUTH — New England Walkers for Knockers, a group of individuals who raise money each year for breast cancer research and support, will host its fourth annual Ride for Help and Hope on Oct. 6.

PORTSMOUTH — New England Walkers for Knockers, a group of individuals who raise money each year for breast cancer research and support, will host its fourth annual Ride for Help and Hope on Oct. 6.

The 90-mile ride will begin at 11 a.m. at Seacoast Harley-Davidson on Route 1 in North Hampton and wind through the back roads and the coast to end at Redhook Ale Brewery in Portsmouth.

Drawing riders from all over New England, this year's ride will benefit My Breast Cancer Support (formerly known as BreastCancerStories.org), a New Hampshire nonprofit organization that provides emotional wellness programs and tangible support for breast cancer patients and their families in the greater Seacoast. Participants will enjoy breakfast provided by Seacoast Harley-Davidson followed by lunch at the completion of the ride provided by MoJo's Barbeque Grill and Tavern and donated by Robert C. Burns of Baystate Financial. There will also be live music by Drop Zone plus many raffles and prizes.

"We are inviting breast cancer patients, including those that have been helped by My Breast Cancer Support, to attend the event for free and the first 25 to register will receive a special event T-shirt," said Brenda Smith, founder of NE-W4K.

For the first time this year participants can raise funds for My Breast Cancer Support by creating an online fundraising page and asking for donations from their family and friends.

"This is the third year that our organization has been invited to be the beneficiary of this event and for that we are truly grateful," said Wendy McCoole, executive director and founder of My Breast Cancer Support. "We are also very excited that breast cancer patients and survivors have been invited to attend for free this year. Even if they don't ride a motorcycle, the celebration at the end of the ride will be fun and uplifting."

The event cost is $30 and you can pre-register at www.ne-w4k.org or on the morning of the event from 9 to 10:30 a.m. For more information, e-mail Brenda Smith at bsmith_new4k@yahoo.com.

PORTSMOUTH — Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics is partnering with the Case Management Society of New England to bring the Autumn 2013 Orthopaedic Forum to the city.

The Seacoast's premier orthopaedic educational conference will be held Oct. 16 at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center and will be a one-day educational conference highlighting some of the latest technological advancements and innovations in orthopaedic care. Speakers will include physicians and medical staff from Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics and topics will cover a range of orthopaedic procedures and conditions.

Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse case managers, occupational health nurses and other health care professionals are all encouraged to attend and can earn continuing education units or other credits for their time. Continental breakfast and registration will begin at 8 a.m. and attendees will enjoy lunch and have the opportunity to visit with several exhibitors to learn more about the latest advancements in orthopaedic technology.

Topics will include platelet-rich plasma therapy, concussion management with vestibular rehabilitation, diagnosis and treatment for common wrist and elbow injuries, understanding electromyography, and the treatment and recovery from ankle injuries.

All topics will have real-world applications and how new treatments and innovations improve outcomes to get individuals back to work, school or athletics.

Registration fees are $40 for Case Management Society of New England members, $50 for N.H. occupational health nurses and $60 for anyone else not belonging to these organizations. After Oct. 2 it is $45, $55 and $65, respectively. Cost includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, course materials and 5.5 RN and CCM credits. For more information, visit www.accesssportsmed.com, call 775-7575 or e-mail events@accesssportsmed.com.

Durgin Pines also recently received a 2013 Celebrating Excellence in Innovation Award, sponsored by the Maine Health Care Association, and is the only community throughout the state to be awarded in both categories. The 2013 Celebrating Excellence Quality Award was given for a program that saw success in a reduction of overall use of antipsychotic medications to less than 5 percent of residents prescribed these medications from approximately 25 percent at the start of the effort, as well as a total removal of all audible personal alarm use in the building.

By having fewer drugs prescribed, there has been a marked improvement in the staff utilizing "out of the box thinking" to aid in behavior modification and redirection, as opposed to utilizing medication as a first approach for addressing negative behaviors, said Administrator Nick Bridges

"Due to the success of this effort many of our residents now have one less pill to swallow every day, one less set of side effects to contend with and there is one less cost to the medical system — with no replacement pill being necessary but replaced rather by a team approach to individualized care and attention to the environment," Bridges said. "Additionally, by having a more pleasant homelike environment free of alarms ringing or buzzing, there is less anxiety about being able to move around, a more peaceful home and increased staff accountability."

Durgin Pines said it has noted a marked decreased in the number of resident falls since this change has gone into effect, Bridges said.

Larry Strickland, director of nursing, said it "took some time to allow the changes to work their way into the culture here, but now everyone has buy-in that we are able to give superior care in a more creative and pleasant community than we did before."

"Certainly, changes like these two are herculean tasks that take the diligence of the entire team to implement," said Venise Minkowsky, chief executive officer of Continuum Health Services, the management company of Durgin Pines.

KITTERY, Maine — The Fabulous Find Thrift Shop recently presented SeaCare Health Services and Families First Health and Support Center with a check for more than $5,600 each.

The Fabulous Find, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a boutique style resale shop which partners with different worthy, local nonprofit organizations each month.

Purchases and donations of gently used items help support organizations serving the Piscataqua Region including arts, environmental, educational and social service agencies. Every day, patrons enjoy a unique shopping experience where they can find designer clothing, jewelry, home accessories, furniture, music and books.

"The Fabulous Find is thrilled to be able to support organizations that help the Seacoast in such a basic way," said Marcye Philbrook, board president of A Caring Community, the nonprofit group that operates the shop. "Health care is often difficult for families and individuals to obtain, and we love the way SeaCare and Families First treat and support both the individual and family as a whole."

Funding from The Fabulous Find will be used by SeaCare and Families First to provide access to affordable health and family services for people in need. For more information about each organization, visit www.seacarehealthservices.org and www.familiesfirstseacoast.org.

Philbrook said since the store opened in July 2010 it has donated more than $300,000 to local nonprofit organizations, and she added August was the store's best sales month ever.

The Fabulous Find is open seven days a week at 139 State Road in Kittery. For more information, call (207) 439-8669 or visit www.thefabulousfind.org.

DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire Health Services was awarded national accreditation for the fifth consecutive time by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

Status as an accredited organization means UNH Health Services has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of accreditation providing the highest quality of care to its patients/clients as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation.

Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation; not all that undergo the rigorous on-site survey process are granted accreditation. The accreditation runs for three years.

"Accreditation provides an important set of objective standards for a health program to meet that are reviewed by a neutral party to assure that quality health care exists," said Kevin Charles, assistant vice president for student and academic services and executive director of UNH Health Services.

The survey is consultative and educational, presenting best practices to help an organization improve its care and services.

AAAHC accreditation is specifically for organizations providing medical or diagnostic services in settings where overnight stays are not required, including college health centers, group medical and dental practices and community health centers.

UNH Health Services, which averages more than 20,000 visits a year from students, staff and faculty, is a health and wellness center. In support of the university's academic mission, it is committed to promoting, maintaining and improving the health and well-being of the university community.

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